TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Florida State junior Jean-Yves Aubone’s dream of playing in the U.S. Open might come sooner than he imagined after earning a wild card into qualifying for one of tennis’ marquee events after making the finals of two Futures events including one championships this summer.

“I couldn’t be any happier,” Aubone said. “It had been on my mind for a couple of weeks now and to know that I will play the Open is like a dream coming true. Here in the United States it’s the most known tournament and it is one of the most known tournaments in the world with the amount of people it attracts every year. To be here is fantastic”

Aubone is one of three college players to earn the wild card which is mainly based on summer results. The Miami, Fla., native won a Futures event earlier this summer in Joplin, Mo., and was a finalist a week later in Peoria, Ill. Aubone climbed as high as No. 699 in the world rankings this summer and currently sits at No. 702, the second highest ranked collegiate American this season.

“I didn’t really think about it [U.S. Open] seriously until I made it to the finals of my second tournament,” Aubone said. “Someone mentioned it to me and I said no way, that’s the U.S. Open let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I just kept practicing and kept my fingers crossed the whole time.”

Qualifying begins Tuesday, August 19 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., where 128 men will compete for 16 spots in the main draw.